A Rediscovered Family Ritual

20261018

Prompt from DailyPrompt.com

“The doctors say your heart is still beating.” I write, tears rolling down my face. “But it feels like you’re already gone. I cannot hear your thoughts anymore, no matter how hard I listen. Part of me wishes I had said goodbye while we still could - but that part is a coward. I meant it, when I promised you would not die like this.”
I pause to take a deep breath and dab my eyes. “I wish that I could stay with you. But I know that you would never forgive me for murdering someone to bring you back. I did try and find a hospice patient who was willing to act as a sacrifice, but there is so little time.”
“So all that remains is to prove my love, and keep my promise, and hope you will forgive me for this. But I simply cannot bear to let you go if there is anything I can do to save you. I will love you forever, and I hope that we will meet again.
PS If there isn’t a letter from a coroner waiting, DO NOT GO DOWN TO THE BASEMENT. I beg of you. I’ve left their card on the fridge, call them immediately and remind them to come clean everything up.”
Seconds tick past as I read and reread the letter. It feels so inadequate. But I cannot find the words for what I want to add.
Finally I fold it up and slip it into the envelope, which I leave propped up against the “incoming mail” box in the hall. I emptied it this morning. I don’t want Ryan to come home to a huge pile of bills. That’s all dealt with. Everything I could think of is dealt with.
My grip on the bannister is shaky as I descend the basement stairs.
Here, too, everything is dealt with. Ready. Waiting. The ritual laid out according to the diagrams. Reagents measured and prepared. The dagger sharpened.
Sweat stings my eyes as I light the candles and the brazier. Carefully following the instructions I wrote out. Ticking each off as I go, as if I’m simply trying out a new recipe. Fragrant smoke fills the room. The chalk begins to glow.
It’s time.
I’m shaking all over as I lie down on the altar. Thankfully I made sure I didn’t need steady hands for this - a lever, a weight, and a release switch is all I needed to engineer an assistant to drive the dagger home.
I really, really hope my calculations are correct and it will apply enough force to kill me quickly.
Ok. Ok. I can do this. It’s for Ryan. The flames are burning black, the chalk is glowing, everything suggests the ritual is working, all I have to do is press this switch.
The dagger hangs above me, fixed to the wooden lever. The weight hangs motionless on its pulley.
Just… need… to…
I screw my eyes shut. Not to try and keep in the tears, but in the hope not looking will make it easier. Just press. Everything’s ready, I just need to hurry up and press down on the switch. Just…
A whimper escapes as my finger finally applies enough pressure and I feel the click. A whirr of rapidly accelerating rope and the lever swishes through the air and-
The impact squashes my chest, trapping the scream, and my eyes fly open to stare unseeing at the ceiling as my body claws for air for life for
It’s dark. And cold. I don’t know where I am. Then I hear a familiar voice.
“Cathy?”
His hand slips into mine. I blink and squint and despite the lack of light his face swims into view. He looks sorrowful. Grave.
“Oh.” My shoulders slump. “It didn’t work. I’m so sorry, darling, I tried, I really did, but-”
“Cathy. Sweetheart. What did you do?”
“I… I tried to swap places with you. Pull you back to the world of the living, and… but it didn’t work.” I blink back tears and manage a smile. “I-I suppose at least now we’re together, even if this isn’t what I wanted.”
Ryan’s fingers are holding mine tight. “Please, please tell me that you didn’t get that ritual out of my uncle’s old books.”
“Ah…”
He bites his lip and shakes his head and looks away.
“W-why…?”
“I think the ritual worked.”
“It can’t have. It said it would usher a wandering soul back to its body, and I used a drop of your blood as instructed… but you’re here, with me, and I’m pretty sure this is the other side.”
“While I don’t doubt that’s what he claimed it would do…” Ryan takes a deep breath and squeezes my hand in both of his. “I felt something happen. Something went out at the same time you arrived. But I didn’t see what. I… I really, really hope it was just my uncle.”

Prompt was “'The doctor says your heart is still beating,' I write, tears rolling down my face. 'But it feels like you’re already gone.’”